American Eagle Outfitters
American Eagle Outfitters, Inc., now known as simply American Eagle, is an American clothing and accessories retailer, headquartered in the Southside Works Neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1977 by brothers Jerry and Mark Silverman as a subsidiary of Retail Ventures, Inc., a company which also owned and operated Silverman's Menswear. The Silvermans sold their ownership interests in 1991 to Jacob Price of Knoxville, Tennessee. American Eagle Outfitters is also the parent company of 77 Kids,Aerie, and Old West. The brand targets male and female college students, although older adults wear the brand, with 933 American Eagle Outfitters stores, 74 77 Kids stand-alone stores , 105 Aerie stand-alone stores, and 4 Tailgate stand-alone stores. In 1977, the first American Eagle Outfitters store opened in Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi, Michigan. Some of the brand's popular products are jeans (especially the low rise jeans type), polo shirts, graphic T-shirts, sweat pants, Henley shirts, vanity boxers, boxer briefs and briefs, outerwear, and swimwear. Stores and other brands Items are placed on wooden shelving, tables, or clothes racks. The clothes in AEO Factory stores are hung on basic black hangers, and AEO stores have wooden hangers. There is usually a flat screen television hanging in the back of the store or behind the cash wrap. The floors are typically wood or concrete. The theme and displays change based on seasonal lines and promotions. Old West Main article: Old West In 2004, American Eagle acquired the Old West clothing store chain from Kmart. It sells mostly the same merchandise as American Eagle, but at lower prices to compete with stores like Hollister. aerie Main article: Aerie In February 2006, American Eagle launched the aerie lingerie sub-brand, targeting the American 15- to 22-year-old female demographic segment. In addition to lingerie such as a wide variety of bras and other undergarments, the aerie line also sells dormwear, active apparel, loungewear, accessories and sleepwear. What started as a sub-brand quickly became a standalone concept in its own right, featuring a complete fitness line, called aerie f.i.t. The aerie brand is sold in American Eagle Outfitters stores, on-line through the American Eagle Web site, and in stand-alone aerie retail stores. The first stand-alone aerie store opened in August 2006 in Greenville, South Carolina and was followed by two more test stores later that year. As of December 2010, there are currently 147 stand-alone aerie stores in the United States and in Canada. Aerie has started a campaign that focuses on promoting their models’ real bodies. This entails their slogan #AerieREAL and adding to their advertisements that models seen have not been retouched. Doing this is a way that they have chosen to take a stand against the use of photo manipulation in media. Iskra Lawrence, while she models for the lingerie line, is also the global role model for the brand. Martin + Osa Main article: Martin + Osa The company's second stand-alone lifestyle concept, launched in 2006 and targeted men and women from 28 to 40 years of age. It featured cashmere sweaters and casual clothing for an older target audience. They also sold products by Fred Perry, Ray-Ban, Adidas, Onitsuka Tiger, and HOBO International. In March 2010, management announced that all 28 Martin + Osa stores would be closed, after a failed attempt at success in retail markets, causing AEO, Inc. to lose up to $44 million. Some former Martin + Osa stores were converted to either 77 Kids, Aerie, or Old West stores. 77kids Main article: 77 Kids In October 2008, American Eagle released and launched 77kids, a line of clothing aimed at children from two to ten years of age. Initially an online only concept, in 2009 AEO started putting 77kids stores as a shop-in-shop in American Eagle Outfitters stores. AEO opened its first stand alone 77kids store on July 15, 2010, in The Mall at Robinson in Pittsburgh, PA, and eight others followed that year. Expansion continued throughout FY2011. 77kids stores are meant to be a fun shopping experience for younger children, featuring interactive games and activities throughout the stores that children could play with while shopping. In August of 2012, American Eagle, started shifting 77kids' main target audience from the 0-14 year old age demographic to the 4 to 14 year old demographic in order to better compete with Abercrombie Kids and P.S. from Aéropostale, but they still sell infant and toddler clothing for the 0-3 year old demographic under the "Little 77" brand. Tailgate In November 2015, American Eagle Outfitters acquired Tailgate Clothing Company, a brand that centers around vintage-style collegiate apparel. American Eagle initially focused on Southeastern Conference and Big Ten colleges, hoping to gain more popularity among its target demographic of teenagers and college students. See also * List of current American Eagle Outfitters locations * List of former American Eagle Outfitters locations External links * American Eagle Outfitters on Malls and Retail Wiki Category:Retail Category:American Eagle Outfitters Category:Mall stores Category:1977 establishments Category:1977 Category:Stores Category:Canon stores Category:Retail companies Category:Mall clothing stores Category:Companies Category:Men's clothing stores Category:Women's clothing stores Category:Teen stores